After a whirlwind of Big Ten action, all eyes shifted to the NCAA volleyball selection show, where the top seeds took center stage. Pittsburgh snagged the No. 1 spot, Nebraska rolled in at No. 2, Penn State landed at No. 3, and Louisville closed out the elite list at No. 4. The excitement was off the charts, but something else made this moment even more unforgettable—another jaw-dropping viewership record!

“Last Sunday’s @NCAAVolleyball Selection Show saw its best audience EVER as 268K viewers tuned in to see the ’24 season 64-team bracket unveiled,” ESPN proudly shared on X. Yep, volleyball fans showed up and showed out, smashing records once again! With the season already heating up, this milestone adds yet another feather in the cap of what’s shaping up to be a legendary year for the sport. And guess what? With the volleyball season in full swing, it’s already smashed another record, making post-Selection Show history!

NCAA volleyball season shatters another record!

ESPN hit up X on December 4 to drop some absolute fire stats about NCAA volleyball’s biggest glow-up yet. “@NCAAVolleyball scores its best regular season EVER on ESPN platforms,” the post read. Can you feel the hype? The numbers are insane: a record-breaking 635 million total minutes consumed, averaging 140,000 viewers per game—that’s a 21% jump compared to last year!

And hold up, it gets better. Viewership among women shot up by 20%, the 18-24 crowd spiked an impressive 70%, and even the youngest fans, ages 2-17, joined the party with a whopping 90% increase. Volleyball isn’t just thriving; it’s serving, spiking, and absolutely soaring to new heights!

Just earlier this year, Nebraska and Stanford faced off at the iconic Bob Devaney Sports Center, pulling in a jaw-dropping 325,000 peak viewers. But hold onto your seats—Louisville and Kentucky weren’t far behind, racking up an impressive 318,000 peak viewers on ESPN. And Texas versus Baylor? Just shy of the magic 300K mark, clocking in at 296,000 viewers during their showdown on ESPN.

Meanwhile, James Santelli, a true Pitt volleyball enthusiast, broke it all down for us. He pointed out how men’s college basketball averages 299K viewers on ESPN2 and 248K on BTN. “Volleyball on TV is rising,” he tweeted, adding a mic-drop moment about how these schools fearlessly schedule tough matchups. And hey, this year’s momentum is no fluke. Just peek at last year’s stats—they set the bar sky-high, turning NCAA volleyball into a primetime contender.

The bar is already high for the volleyball season!

Oh, you heard that right! Last year’s NCAA volleyball stats? They didn’t just set the bar—they shattered it! While this year’s season came in hot with insane viewership numbers, let’s not forget that the 2023–24 season was one for the history books. We’re talking record-breaking vibes all around. A jaw-dropping 19,727 fans packed into Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, setting an indoor volleyball attendance record. But here’s the real kicker—the TV viewership? Mind-blowing.

A whopping 1.7 million tuned in to catch the final game on ABC, which was a stunning 115% jump from the previous year. Back in 2022, 786,000 people turned on their screens for the championship. But this year? It went even bigger!

And let’s not forget the power of women’s sports right now! “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” isn’t just some catchy slogan—it’s a movement. Thanks to stars like Caitlin Clarke, the NCAA Women’s March Madness final pulled in 18.8 million viewers. South Carolina vs. Iowa? That game became the most-watched basketball game in the last five years. Volleyball’s rising fast, but basketball’s also bringing that heat, and we’re here for it!